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Surf and Surf Scoters

The wind blew at 10 knots from the north for the morning. In the afternoon, the wind increased to 25 knots as the direction swung around to the southwest. The barometer dropped from 1011 hPa to 990 hPa as the sun set at 16:28. The sea was rippled, then a big swell rolled in from the southeast during the afternoon. A gale warning is in effect with winds possibly topping out at 47 knots. The sky was mostly overcast with some breaks of sun and occasional rain showers. The rain water cistern is filling itself up again after the dry spell.

There were no boats seen in the reserve today.

A single surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata was spotted in the reserve this morning, before it took off towards the west. The waves crashing into rocky shore produced some spectacular splashes. Sea lions were surfing the waves and leaping out the top. The low light and rain made photography difficult.